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DIG/752,538.

10 MODEL.

. PATENTED mm, 1904.

. 0. H. ENSIGN.

HYDRAULIC ARRESTING DEVICE.

APPLIGATION FILED 110V. 13, 1803.

UNITED STATES Patented February 16, 1904.

PATENT OFFICE.

ORVILLE H. ENSIGN', OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR TO WILLIAJH A. DOBLE, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.-

HYDRAULIC ARRESTING DEVICE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 752,538, dated. February 16, 1904.

I Application filed November 13, 1903. Serial No. 181,053 (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ORVILLE H. ENSIGN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Los Angeles, county of Los Angeles, and State of California, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Hydraulic Arresting Devices; and I hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification. 7 7

' This invention relates to an improved device for cushioning and arresting the velocity of water discharged under high pressure and to such devices employed in connection with tangential water-wheels when their speed and power are regulated by deflecting the jet or jets to impinge wholly or partially against the buckets of the wheels.

My improvement consists in a trough-like structure with an acute central dividing-wedge that splits the entering jet of water and curved sides tangent to the central wedge to reverse the course of the water to cushion its force and destroy its velocity.

The object of my invention'is to arrest the energy of the water escaping under high pres.

sure, and thus avoid its destructive efiect by impingement on masonry or other structural parts in the vicinity, as hereinafter fully explained in this specification and illustrated by the drawings, that form a part thereof.

Referring to the drawings, Figure I represents in side elevation a-tangential waterwheel, the discharge-nozzle therefor, and my improvement disposed in relation thereto. Fig. II is an enlarged side view of my cushioning device, and Fig. III a plan view of Fig. II.

In the case of long conducting-pipes to supply water to wheels, especially under high pressure, it is difiicult and dangerous to vary the quantity of water delivered, and consequently the velocity in the pipes as a means of regulating the speed and power of the waterwheels, and this latter has to be performed by what are called deflecting-nozzles, by means of which the stream is diverted to impinge wholly or only in part against the wheelbuckets. So much of the water as impinges upon the buckets loses its energy by reason of the coincident motion of the buckets and reaction; but so much of the stream as is deflected from the wheel escapes free. Its force and velocity have in modern practice reached a rate exceeding three hundred feet per second and become destructive to masonry or even metals and cannot be kept within the boundary of a plant. To render this escaping water inert or destroy its destructive force, I employ means illustrated in the drawings, wherein 1 is a masonry foundation and tail-race; 2, a tangential water-wheel; 3, the casing for the same, and 4 a discharge-nozzle delivering water to the wheel. The discharge-nozzle i is pivoted at 5 and capable of deflection in the plane of the wheel to the angles indicated by the dotted lines 7 and 8 or to any angle between these, as indicated in Fig. I.

Beyond or behind the wheel 2 is my improved cushioning device, (shown in section and further displayed in Figs. II and III,) consisting of a dual metallic trough 9, having a central dividing-wedge 10, by means of which the water 12 is split, as indicated in Fig. III. After being divided by the wedge 10 the Water rushes around the curved sides 11 and cushions or breaks its velocity by the two halves of the stream being-spread out into thin'sheets, which meet each other with equal velocity at a point immediately in front of wedge 10, this bringing the water to a standstill, so that it will fall by gravity into the tailrace, even when all the water is directed against the device.

The anterior curved portion 9 of my improved device is made integral with fasteninglugs 17, that are held by stirrup-bolts 18, that hold the structure to the cross-beams 19, set in the masonry at the sides of the tail-race.

The dividing-wedge 19 is shown detachable, so as to be replaced if worn by action of the water; but this, and also the skirt-plates 16, can be made integral with the part 9, also other means of fastening can be employed.

I do not confine myself to a particular con- IO and curved faces to divert the divided Water upon itself, arranged and operating substantially as specified.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

ORVHILE H. ENSIGN.

Witnesses:

H. H. TROWBRIDGE, VIRGINIA Dixon. 

